A-Sides: James Blake and André 3000’s effervescent team-up, plus new Toro Y Moi and more
Music Features A-Sides
Toro Y Moi, Outer Peace
[Carpark, January 18]
It’s been a blast to witness Chaz Bear’s evolution as Toro Y Moi over the last decade or so. His chameleonic forays into house, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and psych rock have consistently expanded his sound without ever feeling put-on, a seamlessness thanks in part to his skill behind the boards. His productions can feel astonishingly effortless, to the point that a breezy LP like Outer Peace might be dismissed as slight or superficial. But it’s low-stakes by design: These are playful, gravity-defying tracks, ranging from Daft Punk-inspired disco (“Ordinary Pleasure”) to progressive R&B (the swooning ABRA collab “Miss Me”), expressly intended to balance the weight of your everyday hustle. It’s music to get you through work or traffic with a little more, well, peace, thoughtfully layered so that you can dip in and out of the details as you like. [Kelsey J. Waite]
Weyes Blood, “Andromeda”
[Sub Pop, January 17]
Whether you’re bracing for a blizzard this weekend or you’ve never even seen snow in real life, Weyes Blood has you covered. “Andromeda,” singer-songwriter Natalie Mering’s first new solo material since 2016’s Front Row To Earth, would be equally dreamy as the soundtrack to gently falling snow or cold desert stars. Opening with a warbling soft-rock melody cut with sharp drum machine, the track continues its blending of hard and soft by layering gauzy dream-pop organ and lonesome slide guitar, braiding them together with Mering’s mellow vocals for an effect that’s both retro and very of the moment. [Katie Rife]
16 Comments
The happily semi-retired rapper’s flow on “Where’s The Catch?” isn’t what it once wasSounds pretty fuckin’ tight to me. Cool song.
Fuck everything but new PUP music
It’s the only thing I needed this week.
as far as im concerned, this is the only thing that came out this week.
Toro Y Moi are such a consistent beast. They just knock out about every genre out the park that they try. Yet they skirt just below the radar, which is refreshing because it allows their music to be the focus of attention. It’s like I never asked them to make quality music, but they keep delivering anyway. Such a treat.
Even more mind blowing when you realize Toro and Moi are the SAME GUY
Toro Y Moi are is such a consistent beast. They He just knocks out about every genre out the park that they he tryies. Yet they he skirts just below the radar, which is refreshing because it allows their his music to be the focus of attention. It’s like I never asked them him to make quality music, but they he keeps delivering anyway. Such a treat.
that new Sharon Van Etten album is, in fact, dope. Especially, ‘Seventeen’
Love Andre 3000 to death, but not even he could get me to sit through Blake’s maudlin warbling.
Not having Maggie Rogers on this list is a fucking war crime.
DEERHUNTER
No Maggie Rogers??
The Twilight Sad’s new album is amazing! Easily their best since the first one. Two songs to skip but 3-4 classics.
the opener on this album is absolutely goddamn amazing
I mean yeah, the new James Blake is great, which was expected. But, after listening to it a dozen times, I had to listen to something else. So, very unassumingly I put on the new Sharon Van Etten. HOLY SHIT. I’d never listened to her before, what a shame. Remind Me Tomorrow is the best album of 2019.
Seventeen by Sharon Van Etten has already won the whole damn year